Let’s pray.

Bless us because all blessings come from you Father in heaven. You sent us Jesus, our resurrected king. We’re so glad we learned to trust you Jesus. Precious Jesus, Savior Friend. And we know that you are with us. That you will be with us to the very end.

I want to pray especially over our kids this week. Many are starting school, if they haven’t already started school this fall. Please reveal to each and every one of them your mysteries, your truths, and let them be truth tellers. Let them be leaders, set them be full of discernment, grace, mercy, and boldness. Let them be bold in making friends, cultivating relationships to testify of your majesty in their lives. If there are any who are anxious, fearful, yes, both parents and kids, let them find your peace. Let your peace wash over their minds and hearts.

Anoint us with your word, pour your spirit upon us. We want to seek your will. We want to be your people. We want to follow you, mind and soul. God, transform our lives as we faithfully live well on this mission field you placed us on this season. We pray these things in Jesus holy, powerful, name. Amen.

Two weeks ago, a guy from our church shared with me that he was packing up his family, his belongings and leaving Michigan. So, naturally I asked what was prompting the move.

He shared with me that he was leaving to be a missionary.

I was so surprised; I was even a little sad even. I didn’t even know he was in seminary preparing to be a missionary.  What he said next surprised me even more. He said to me that he didn’t go to seminary. He had just been praying and felt the prompting of God to be a missionary. And out of the blue, his company offered him a role with a significant promotion and relocation to China.

After praying some more and talking it over with his family, they’re shipping off. The way he saw it, his company is now paying him to be a missionary. He’s not fundraising, he’s not worrying about where the next meal is coming from. He’s not even worried about his training. Even better, God gave him an office full of employees to minister the gospel to.

His strategy in ministering to people who don’t know Jesus in a foreign country, where he doesn’t speak the language?

He’s going to invite people to dinner and start doing life with them. That’s his missionary strategy! If you’re not familiar with that strategy, it’s called Life Groups. His mission strategy is to go start a Life Group. How amazing is that?

Raise your hand if you feel called to be a missionary? [if people do raise their hands, make sure you invite them to speak with you after service]

If you didn’t raise your hand, I want to change your mind today because we’re all called as missionaries.

[in a silly voice] But Jonathan, aren’t missionaries people who leave their countries to go minister to cannibalistic tribes in the great depths of the jungles? I’m just an automotive engineer with a specialization in sprockets.

In Matthew 28, Jesus gives to his followers a commission:

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20 ESV)

This COmission, the duty or task given to Jesus’ disciples is to go and make disciples in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit. Jesus didn’t say we needed to stop and do some formal training. He didn’t say this was reserved for only people with fantastic people.  This is for everybody, even if you doubt your faith sometimes and only hesitantly show up to church and to your own faith.

Your purpose in life is the mission you have as a follower of Jesus: to make disciples that follow Jesus. You have everything you need for that end. It doesn’t matter where you are, what you do because:

Big Idea: God Demonstrates His Power So We Can Be Faithful to Our Purpose

This season we’re entering, you can call it

• the school year,
• the fall,
• football season,
• whatever you want to call it,

is going to be rife with people who are far from God. Like yesterday, I was watching the Notre Dame vs OSU game with those heathen from Ohio State that desperately need Jesus so we need to be ready to turn on a dime and be missionaries to them.

Let’s go to Daniel 6. Many of you are may be familiar with this story but have a hard time figuring out how it applies to us today.

Here’s how that applies to us: If you’re afraid of the woke mob influencing your kids the wrong way or messing up the comfortable set up you got going on, then stop being afraid and repent because God is demonstrating his power in our lives right now so we can testify about our God to a broken society.

You see, the more I read this chapter, the more confirmation I have that this passage is for us now because what’s happening in Persia during the 6^th century BC is happening in our country right now. In fact, this story is one of the most detailed accounts of social engineering in ancient history.

Social engineering is the use of centralized planning in an attempt to regulate the future development and behavior of a society. Don’t hear that as conspiracy. But hear it as the rational for us to be ever more faithful to the mission God gave to us as it relates to our current culture and the future of our society.

About Daniel

Some context on Daniel. He’s the last of the major prophets in our Bible. The book assigned to him is split into two parts, the first, a collection of accolades from his illustrious career from political prisoner to upstart politician, to the COO of the most powerful nation in the world in the 6^th century BC. The second, a series of apocalyptic visions of the coming world.

The Bible says Daniel was a young man when he was taken into captivity from his home in Israel to Babylon. In Babylon, even though he was a foreigner, and not a politically connected or socio-economically advantaged, he rose to the top of society.

Here’s what’s more impressive: when Babylon fell to the Persians, Daniel rose to the top of that new empire. That didn’t happen because of his great political guile but as a result of God’s faithfulness. Some of us need to realize that the only reason some of us are occupying the positions we are in our work places or volunteer organizations is because of God’s faithfulness.

God’s faithfulness, in turn, gave Daniel the confidence to speak and act with the authority of God everywhere and in every situation he found himself.

That very same God of Daniel has been faithful to us. So we are called to speak and act with authority. God is with us always. He will never leave us or forsake us.

Daniel 6:1.

¹It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; ² and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. ³ Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

⁴ Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. (Daniel 6:1-4 ESV)

Did you see that? Daniel embodied “an excellent spirit.” That’s why Daniel gained the favor of the king. 

Some of us have a horrible spirit. It’s not excellent at all. It’s lazy, self-entitled, and full of complaints. People dislike you and don’t invite you to things because of that. People don’t leave you out because you’re Christian, they leave you out because you’re a pain and downer to be around.

If you want friends, influence, and a platform, have an excellent spirit. Yeah. Don’t be a pain and downer to be around.

There was a war in Daniel’s country, and his country lost, so he was snatched out of his own country away from everything he knew and then sent to another country where he didn’t speak the language and knew nobody, but  instead of complaining Daniel had an excellent attitude. The reason he had this excellent attitude was because he had the spirit of God in him. God was faithful to Daniel even though his life circumstances didn’t seem like it. That’s my first point:

Point 1: God’s faithfulness sets us apart (vv1-4)

One way God demonstrates his power is by setting us apart from everybody else. So what if your experiences, backgrounds, and life doesn’t look like the next person’s. Your life is marked by God’s faithfulness

God knew that left to our own devices, we just wouldn’t make it when life got tough. There’s just too much temptation, there’s just too much brokenness. It’s why we have mid-life crises. It’s why our relationships come and go. It’s why our passions come and go. It’s why most of us drop half of our new years resolutions by February every year.  

Jesus teaches his disciples in John 14:16-17 ESV.

¹⁶… I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17 ESV)

When Jesus ascended to heaven, he sent a helper for us. The Holy Spirit dwells in us as a measure of God’s faithfulness to us. So we are set apart from those living life without his spirit. What a demonstration of God’s power for us.

Do you want to live faithfully toward God’s purposes?

Then ask God to give you a full indwelling of his spirit to lead you, to teach you, toward the fullness of the work he has for you. Then people will look at you and say there is something different about you. That is exactly what happened to Daniel. Verse 5.

⁵ Then these men [other politicians] said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

I told you earlier that what’s happening in Persia in the 6^th century BC is happening now, right?

• Ostracized for faith convictions,
• being challenged for what we believe in the public realm.
• a minority swimming against the current.

The point is

Point 2: Society wants us to change (vv5-18)

For some reason we still believe the country we live in is supposed to be this Christian utopia, but the reality is that this country is part of the world and the ruler of this world is the guy who got thrown out of heaven for trying to be God. He’s already lost the eternal battle, and now he is battling to make life for the children of God as horrible as possible so that we would turn away from our faithful Father in heaven. Verse 6.

⁶ Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! ⁷ All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸ Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” ⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

I got a lot to say about these verses.

• First, who do you think that these officials consulted for a consensus agreement?
  • I’m sure Daniel wouldn’t have agreed if he was consulted.
  • You think what’s going on in politics now is more polarizing than ever.
    • Wrong! it’s always been polarizing, we’re just more aware of it now.
• Second, how are you going to make a law that outlaws prayer and then make it punishable by a slow death? It seems a little extreme.
  • Just think about it, the ways lions kill their prey is by waiting for the perfect moment to knock people over and then by clamping down on throats, thereby suffocating or breaking the neck. I learned that on YouTube. Surely the death penalty is more easily rendered.
  • More than that, how do you enforce a law like that? What does it look like to make a petition? I think most rational people would agree, but people don’t listen to rationale, it’s always the crazy people on the extremes that have the loudest voices, isn’t it?
• Third, who makes a law that is only applicable for a month?
  • Like, is it worth the political equity to do something like that?
  • The point, anyways, is that the law was signed. That was what the Bible says. That’s the reality we live in – that culture wants us to change.

All that to say that we shouldn’t be surprised. In fact, it is more imperative that we live purposefully on mission for God. Verse 10.

¹⁰ When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Some of us just spend so much time overreacting to how the world is against us, it actually changes how we live. When that happens, we’ve lost sight of our mission which is to make disciples of all nations. Daniel knew the law was signed and he did like he has always done, which is to live his faith, not altering how he practiced his faith. He prayed three times a day and gave thanks to God.

That’s why it is so important that we come together every week to worship God here at church. We pray together and give thanks to God together like we always do. We do so because the world doesn’t change how we live. We prioritize living faithfully for God and allow the rest of our lives revolve around worshipping Him, not the other way around. 

It’s why we keep urging you to join a life group. To do life with others so you can exercise faith, live on mission.

You need extra tools to help you live on mission. Then check out how we’re empowering you for mission this fall:

• 9/12 – Prayer night—we’re praying in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication.
• 9/20 – Womens Bible Study
• 9/24 – worship night
• Three weeks in October, we’re offering Spiritual Gifts Classes

Verse 11.

¹¹ Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. ¹² Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”

¹³ Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

¹⁴ Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.

Not everybody who is not a Christian is against you. Darius wasn’t a Jew, he believed in a pantheon of gods. But he was for Daniel, he was distressed for him. This king cared for somebody who did not share the same world view as he did. Moreover, this authoritarian king wanted to rescue his friend even though his friend Daniel defied his laws.

If you want to see God show his power, go tell non-believers you fear God and follow Jesus and see what happens. Family, that’s what it means to live like a missionary. That’s how you live life on mission well. We don’t hide who we are, we’re open about it. Verse 15.

¹⁵ Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” ¹⁷ And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. ¹⁹ Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.

²⁰ As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

Look how familiar the king was with Daniel’s God. Doesn’t it seem like they’ve probably had a lot of faith conversations? Talking about faith was not taboo. In fact, it almost seems as though Daniel witnessed to a bunch of non-believers about who he serves, and one of the people he was witnessing to happened to be the king of the world’s first superpower. There’s your license to share   openly.

In fact, this whole story starts with the people who are against Daniel, plotting to use his religious practices against him. The only way they would have know how to do that was if they knew Daniel’s religious practices. So, we infer here that Daniel is talking about his faith and people see what he does.

How many of us are that open with our faith practices? Why aren’t we?

• Is it because we’re afraid to offend?
• Is it because we’re afraid to share?
• Is it because we don’t want to be cast out any further?
• Or is it because we’re comfortable in our “Christian” social circles?

Verse 21.

²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! ²² My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

²³ Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

²⁴ And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. ²⁶ I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

for he is the living God,
    enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
    and his dominion shall be to the end.
²⁷ He delivers and rescues;
    he works signs and wonders
    in heaven and on earth,
he who has saved Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”

²⁸ So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (Daniel 6:16-28 ESV)

Point 3: Testifying to God’s work changes culture (vv19-28)

Look at what is possible. Daniel’s deliverance results in people who don’t know God, who are far from God to testify about God. This statement made by the king is a doxology—it’s praise, thanksgiving, it’s a recognition of who God is.

The world we occupy would drastically change if just 1 person we know who is far from God would worship our God because we testified about God’s faithfulness in our lives.

Can you testify to God’s work in your life to just one person this week? I’m not talking about winning them over through arguments and debate. I’m just talking about testifying about how flawed you are and how God continues to bless you despite your flaws and how God invites those who are flawed to be his children.

We are missionaries to our woke public schools or our un-woke Christian schools. We are missionaries as fathers, mothers, children, salespeople, managers, ceos, doctors, lawyers, engineers, assistants, servers, welders, builders.

There are so many people who will never know the gospel if we will not testify to God’s work in loves. Don’t squander this opportunity because that is what we are called.

I only accepted Jesus as my lord and savior because somebody was willing to befriend a non-Christian and risk his own pride and reputation to share the gospel. My friend knew that he could be faithful because God has been so faithful to him despite the many wrong turns he took in his own life. He knew  that God would take his friend, who was so far from him, and redeem him. That one day, despite all the kicking and fighting, he would submit to God and testify that God is faithful.

That’s the reason all of us started following Jesus, because somebody in our lives postured themselves humbly before God and shared the gospel.

This is the gospel:

God sent his one and only begotten Son Jesus, to become our Christ. Jesus, although in the form of God, humbled himself to become human, to live sinless and die for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures to fulfill the justice necessary to bring us reconciliation with God, the Father.

Jesus was crucified on a cross, died, and was buried. But sin and death could not hold Jesus. He was raised on the third day in by the power of God. In faith, we receive salvation, not by our works, but by grace, as a gift from God.

• If you never accepted the gospel, receive it now in faith, confessing Jesus as your savior, your Messiah.
• If you’ve been a follower of Jesus but haven’t considered your commission until now, your time is now.

Go live boldly on mission. God demonstrates his power to us so we can be faithful. Let your life testify to God’s work.

We are his children, we live faithfully through his spirit, to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded.

God’s already demonstrating his power in your life. Now, go boldly share your testimony with somebody.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, thank you for sending your son to rescue us. God, we want to be faithful to the mission you called us. We know that you want us to share this incredible good news to everybody around us, but it’s so hard to start, it’s so hard to be bold. God, we believe you are giving us courage today. You are giving us the words, you are identifying the people and places.

• God, the neighbors that we didn’t expect to be friendly to us, thank you for opening those doors.
• God, the teachers that don’t have the same worldview as us, thank you for allowing our children to be a part of their classrooms.
• Lord, the co-workers that we have, who ostracize us… God, yes, thank you for allowing us to be witnesses to them.
• The families and relatives who don’t know, who tell us that we’re lost, Lord, let us bless them.

Those of us who need to receive your gospel; let them receive it wholeheartedly. Let them receive it with thanksgiving. Let them receive it without doubt. Let it saturate every facet of their lives. Let it transform them. Let the ways they used to live die and be buried with you. Father, resurrect a new life, a new way of living for them.

Do not allow the world and the troubles we face fill us with doubt. Fill us with satisfaction, with resolve. We want to be faithful. Help us be faithful to you in this work. We pray all these things in Jesus precious, holy name. Amen.